GAMEDAY CENTRAL
IUP Crimson Hawks (24-17, 13-7 PSAC Central)
vs. Shippensburg Raiders (26-21, 8-8 PSAC East)
Wednesday, May 3, 2017 | 12:00 p.m.
Quakertown, Pa. | Veterans Park

Championship Home Page | PSACsports.org
Live Stats: Sidearmstats.com | Fan Stats | Media Stats
Updates: Twitter | @IUP_Softball | @PSACsports

CHAMPIONSHIPS AT A GLANCE
The Crimson Hawks head to Quakertown this week for the 2017 PSAC Championships at Veterans Park. IUP will open the double elimination-style tournament with Shippensburg at noon on Wednesday and will play a second game (win or lose) later at 6 p.m. IUP earned the third seed in the PSAC Central with a 13-7 divisional record, while Shippensburg is the third seed in the East at 8-8. The winner will play West No. 1 Gannon (14-6) while the loser will play an elimination game against the loser of East No. 1 West Chester (13-3) and West No. 3 California (12-8).

STORYLINES / WHAT TO WATCH FOR
* IUP is making its 17th all-time appearance in the PSAC Championships, all since 1996 (22 years); This is the Crimson Hawks' fourth straight conference tournament and seventh in eight years under head coach Bill Graham
* The Crimson Hawks have two PSAC titles, winning back-to-back championships in 2011 and 2012 under Graham
* IUP's longest PSAC run since those championships came in 2014, as the Crimson Hawks fought off three straight elimination games to come within one win of another title game appearance before falling 3-2 to Cal
* The Crimson Hawks have a 15-8 PSAC tournament record under Graham, including an eight-game win streak during their title runs in 2011 and 2012
* IUP enters the weekend as one of the hottest teams in the conference, winning six of its last seven games by a combined score of 46-11; The Crimson Hawks have scored at least nine runs three times during that streak, including a 14-2 outing against Mansfield while fighting for one of the last spots in the tournament on the final weekend
* Senior shortstop is the hottest-hitting player over that seven-game stretch, boasting a .481 batting average (13-27) with two doubles, a home run, seven RBI and seven runs scored; Sophomore outfielder Laura Cotter (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) is hitting .450 (9-20) during that time with a .950 slugging percentage, raking two doubles, a triple, and two home runs
* The pitching has also been exceptional in the last two weeks, with sophomore Megan Risinger (Creekside, Pa./Marion Center) going 4-0 with a 0.84 ERA and two complete games, while classmate Lauren Zola (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton-La Salle) is 2-1 with a 1.11 ERA and two complete games